Latest news with #Kammrad
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suspects who allegedly attacked woman in McDonald's because of her sexual orientation face hate crime charges
Two males, including one juvenile, are facing hate crime charges after allegedly physically attacking a 19-year-old woman and calling her "derogatory" names at a McDonald's in Illinois, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office. The incident occurred on May 13, when police responded to a report of a fight at a McDonald's in Carpentersville, Illinois, which is about an hour outside of Chicago. Once on the scene, officials determined the incident "involved an aggravated battery against a female victim," Carpentersville Police Department said. The female victim, 19-year-old Kady Grass, told ABC News the attack, which led to her suffering a broken nose and bruises on her shoulders, was based on her sexual orientation. "Even if they don't agree with the LGBTQ community, they have no right to make it physical or bully you into something. There was no right to do this to me just because they didn't like that I date women instead of men," Grass told ABC News last week. One of the suspects involved in the attack, 19-year-old John Kammrad, was arrested on May 17, and the juvenile — whose "identify is being withheld in accordance with state laws protecting minors' privacy" — turned himself in to police on May 16, officials said. On Tuesday, the state's attorney's office announced that Kammrad was charged with three counts of aggravated battery, mob action and a hate crime. The juvenile was also charged with a hate crime, in addition to mob action and aggravated battery charges, prosecutors said. MORE: Woman speaks out after alleged homophobic attack at McDonald's in Illinois "Everyone deserves to feel safe in public spaces, and no one should be attacked because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, as is alleged in this case. We must make it clear that Kane County is a community that welcomes all," the county State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said in a statement. Grass said the attack began when she and her 13-year-old cousin were grabbing food at the McDonald's and Grass decided to use the bathroom. Both the restroom stalls were full, so she walked out right away, when one boy out of a group of three began calling her a derogatory name, she told ABC News. She said she "mumbled" under her breath but walked away and told her cousin to "not give them another reason to talk to us." One of the boys, the juvenile who was later charged, approached Grass again, saying they "wanted to fight" her and they should "take it outside," she said. Grass said she then proceeded to go outside the McDonald's, but "no one came out." MORE: Hate crimes, particularly against LGBTQ community, on the rise: FBI data When she returned inside to her cousin, she told Grass she overheard the males and said "they have a gun and they are going to kill you." Grass later found out that it was an "empty threat" as police did not find a gun in the suspects' possession. Kammrad then approached Grass and said, "You're a woman, you're not tough," to which Grass replied: "I know I'm a woman, I'm a lesbian," she told ABC News. She said she then looked at the juvenile, who "had this look in his eyes" and began to smile at her. "I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen," Grass said. Kammrad proceeded to get close to Grass, so she placed her hand on his chest to signal he should "keep his distance," she said. MORE: Police seeking assailant who allegedly used anti-gay slur in NYC subway attack The confrontation then escalated into a physical fight, with one male punching her in the front and the other hitting her in the back, she said. A manager at the McDonald's attempted to break up the fight, but he also "got hit in the process," Grass said. In an attempt to protect herself, Grass closed her eyes and fell to the ground, which led to the two males stomping on her head, causing her to become unconscious, she said. "They were trying to kill me," Grass said last week. She sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where "she was treated and subsequently released," police said. Grass told ABC News Chicago station WLS on Tuesday that she was "fighting really hard for these hate crime charges." Kammrad's plea setting is scheduled for June 27 at 9 a.m., according to court records. He is currently being held in the DuPage County Jail for "separate, unrelated charges," officials said. It was not immediately clear whether Kammrad has appointed an attorney who can speak on his behalf. Suspects who allegedly attacked woman in McDonald's because of her sexual orientation face hate crime charges originally appeared on
6 days ago
Suspects who allegedly attacked woman in McDonald's because of her sexual orientation face hate crime charges
Two males, including one juvenile, are facing hate crime charges after allegedly physically attacking a 19-year-old woman and calling her "derogatory" names at a McDonald's in Illinois, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office. The incident occurred on May 13, when police responded to a report of a fight at a McDonald's in Carpentersville, Illinois, which is about an hour outside of Chicago. Once on the scene, officials determined the incident "involved an aggravated battery against a female victim," Carpentersville Police Department said. The female victim, 19-year-old Kady Grass, told ABC News the attack, which led to her suffering a broken nose and bruises on her shoulders, was based on her sexual orientation. "Even if they don't agree with the LGBTQ community, they have no right to make it physical or bully you into something. There was no right to do this to me just because they didn't like that I date women instead of men," Grass told ABC News last week. One of the suspects involved in the attack, 19-year-old John Kammrad, was arrested on May 17, and the juvenile — whose "identify is being withheld in accordance with state laws protecting minors' privacy" — turned himself in to police on May 16, officials said. On Tuesday, the state's attorney's office announced that Kammrad was charged with three counts of aggravated battery, mob action and a hate crime. The juvenile was also charged with a hate crime, in addition to mob action and aggravated battery charges, prosecutors said. "Everyone deserves to feel safe in public spaces, and no one should be attacked because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, as is alleged in this case. We must make it clear that Kane County is a community that welcomes all," the county State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said in a statement. Grass said the attack began when she and her 13-year-old cousin were grabbing food at the McDonald's and Grass decided to use the bathroom. Both the restroom stalls were full, so she walked out right away, when one boy out of a group of three began calling her a derogatory name, she told ABC News. She said she "mumbled" under her breath but walked away and told her cousin to "not give them another reason to talk to us." One of the boys, the juvenile who was later charged, approached Grass again, saying they "wanted to fight" her and they should "take it outside," she said. Grass said she then proceeded to go outside the McDonald's, but "no one came out." When she returned inside to her cousin, she told Grass she overheard the males and said "they have a gun and they are going to kill you." Grass later found out that it was an "empty threat" as police did not find a gun in the suspects' possession. Kammrad then approached Grass and said, "You're a woman, you're not tough," to which Grass replied: "I know I'm a woman, I'm a lesbian," she told ABC News. She said she then looked at the juvenile, who "had this look in his eyes" and began to smile at her. "I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen," Grass said. Kammrad proceeded to get close to Grass, so she placed her hand on his chest to signal he should "keep his distance," she said. The confrontation then escalated into a physical fight, with one male punching her in the front and the other hitting her in the back, she said. A manager at the McDonald's attempted to break up the fight, but he also "got hit in the process," Grass said. In an attempt to protect herself, Grass closed her eyes and fell to the ground, which led to the two males stomping on her head, causing her to become unconscious, she said. "They were trying to kill me," Grass said last week. She sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where "she was treated and subsequently released," police said. Grass told ABC News Chicago station WLS on Tuesday that she was "fighting really hard for these hate crime charges." Kammrad's plea setting is scheduled for June 27 at 9 a.m., according to court records. He is currently being held in the DuPage County Jail for "separate, unrelated charges," officials said.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man, teen accused of beating woman at suburban McDonald's over sexual orientation
CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. — A man and teen are accused of severely beating a woman over her sexual orientation at a suburban McDonald's. Police responded to a report of a fight in progress at a McDonald's, located in the 1660 block of South Kennedy Drive, on May 13. Authorities allege John Kammrad, 19, of Elgin, and a juvenile boy made derogatory remarks about a woman's sexual orientation. The incident escalated into a fight, according to police. The woman, Kady Grass, took to GoFundMe and posted pictures of her injuries. She was transported to a local hospital in serious condition, where she was released. Charging documents acquired by WGN News accused Kammrad of delivering a series of punches and kicks to Grass. He was out on pre-trial release for unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle in DuPage County on April 8. He was taken into custody in Kane County on Saturday after the juvenile turn himself into police the following day. Kammrad is back in custody of DuPage County after his pre-trial release was revoked as a result of the alleged attack, according to prosecutors. A pre-trial hearing in Kane County for the alleged attack will not take place, according to the prosecutor's office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Woman brutally attacked at McDonald's for her sexual orientation, IL cops say
A pair passing by a woman at an Illinois McDonald's made 'derogatory remarks' toward her, then brutally attacked her, police said. A 19-year-old and a juvenile started a verbal confrontation about the woman's sexual orientation as she was going into the bathroom on May 13, according to Carpentersville police and a GoFundMe started by Kady Grass. The confrontation escalated and Grass was punched and kicked in the head, according to a criminal complaint. The victim shared photos of bruises on her face and body and said she was attacked 'all because I date women instead of men,' she wrote in a GoFundMe. 'One hit me in the jaw and one was hitting me in the front and then I didn't realize that I was getting hit behind until a little bit later, like it took me a while to realize,' Grass told WMAQ. She was taken to the hospital for her injuries, police said. She suffered a broken nose and injuries to her face, according to charging documents. John Kammrad, 19, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery and mob violence, according to charging documents. The juvenile suspect was not named, but is facing felony charges. Deputy Police Chief Kevin Stankowitz said in an email to McClatchy News that case facts were reviewed to see if hate crime charges were warranted, but he said prosecutors declined to charge the two with hate crimes. The juvenile turned himself in on May 16 and Kammrad was arrested May 17. Kammrad is scheduled to appear in court June 27, prosecutors said. Carpentersville is about a 40-mile drive northwest from Chicago.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman speaks out after alleged homophobic attack at McDonald's in Illinois
A young woman was physically attacked and called "derogatory" names at a McDonald's in Illinois, with two males — including one juvenile — charged for the incident, according to the Carpentersville Police Department. The incident occurred on May 13, when police responded to a report of a fight at a McDonald's in Carpentersville, Illinois, which is about an hour outside of Chicago. Once on the scene, officials determined the incident "involved an aggravated battery against a female victim," police said in a press release shared over the weekend. Officials said the altercation began when two male suspects made "derogatory remarks about the victim's sexual orientation as they passed by her." This confrontation escalated into a physical fight, police said. The female victim, Kady Grass, sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where "she was treated and subsequently released," police said. MORE: Hate crimes, particularly against LGBTQ community, on the rise: FBI data Grass told Chicago ABC station WLS that the two males began stomping on her head, causing her to become unconscious. "It just blew my mind that this happened and it was all because I like girls instead of men," Grass, who suffered a broken nose after the attack, told WLS. Police said "multiple felony charges" were approved against the two males involved, including "the most serious" charge being aggravated battery causing bodily harm. MORE: Police seeking assailant who allegedly used anti-gay slur in NYC subway attack One of the suspects, a juvenile, turned himself in to police on May 16, and the other male, 19-year-old John Kammrad, was arrested on May 17, officials said. "This incident underscores the importance of addressing violence and discrimination within our community. The Carpentersville Police Department remains committed to ensuring public safety and promoting respect for all individuals," police said. Kammrad was charged with two counts of aggravated battery and mob action-use of force or violence disturbing the peace, according to court records. He was in custody at the Kane County Jail, but court records indicate that on Monday, the suspect was "released to other agency." MORE: 4 teens charged in suspected homophobic attack against women on London bus Grass told WLS the state's attorney's office informed her they are also considering charging Kammrad with a hate crime. Kammrad's status hearing is scheduled for May 22 and his plea setting is set for June 27, according to court records. Court records indicate that Kammrad has appointed an attorney, but the name of the public defender is not listed. Woman speaks out after alleged homophobic attack at McDonald's in Illinois originally appeared on
